


Rain and Misery

by panther



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-24
Updated: 2012-03-24
Packaged: 2017-11-02 11:39:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/368618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panther/pseuds/panther
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the final battle, the Malfoy family flee the battlefield and make their way to Hogsmeade to escape, realising nothing will be the same. Narcissa finds she is the one that has to take charge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rain and Misery

Draco isn’t a child and Narcissa knows that, but she still doesn’t want to let go of him. The pressure of her finger nails clawing into his arm must hurt but she doesn’t ease her grip and he doesn’t complain. Lucius follows along behind them, double checking for followers every few seconds, his steps a comforting sound to Narcissa’s ears. People pass them, heading up to the Castle, but they are so wrapped up in their celebrations that they don’t notice the Malfoy family making their way towards the Apparation point outside the Castle’s grounds. The rain pours down on them and makes Narcissa’s skirts and robes heavy and difficult to walk in, slapping against her cold legs, as Draco loses his footing slightly and swears. 

“Hush, Draco! Don’t attract attention to us!” Narcissa hisses, cautiously looking behind her as Lucius moves in closer. 

“We can’t go home, Cissa. I...the others,” Lucius begins awkwardly, looking like a broken man with his hair soaked, looking like rat’s tails, and his face gaunt from months under the Dark Lord’s thumb. 

“Of course we can’t go home,” Draco mutters sullenly but Narcissa ignores him, and clings even harder to his arm as they make their way towards the village. 

“Hush! We need to get out of the way somewhere. We still have gold. We can disappear for now,” Narcissa says more to herself than the men, pulling Draco even closer when they reach Hogsmeade. 

“We could go to France,” Draco states, “ At least until things calm down.”

“ Calm down? Son, things won’t _calm down_. Not for us,” Lucius scoffs, shaking his head, and even when he had been shamed by the Dark Lord for months he still manages to make Draco feel small and incompetent, “There will be trials-”

“For the love of Merlin, Lucius, not _now_. Can we just get to safety first?” Narcissa snaps, “It is raining and horrible and we only have each other now. We’re _not_ going to start bickering amongst ourselves. At least we’re _alive_. Bella...well at least we’re alive!”

The men fall silent, Draco tucking his hair behind his ear and nodding to his mother who finally lets go of his arm. 

“There is a pub near St Mungos’. I think that we will be safe there until we decide upon our next move. I have some gold. Draco?”

“Some. Not much,” he answers shortly, his body tight and tensed up, as if he’s suddenly grasping the gravity of the situation, “We might not be able to come back, mother?”

“I don’t know, Draco. I just don’t know. I just know we’re alive and have to get out of here,” Narcissa states sharply. 

“So, we apparate to the alley behind St Mungos and we go from there,” Lucius queries gruffly, looking uncomfortable at finding himself on the run. They have no power, no influence, nothing. They can’t possibly predict what the future holds for them but at least they are together and alive and that has to count for something considering so many families were broken that night. 

The rain continues to fall, making them all shiver, despite the lukewarm temperatures of the Scottish highlands. It wasn’t supposed to end like this, Narcissa thinks to herself, and even though she had never pictured the end she was certain it wasn’t _this_. Looking at Draco, as he pulls his wand out from inside his robes, she wants to reach out to him and pull him close and protect him. Lucius has always wanted him to grow up too fast and somewhere in his fight to do that Draco had forgot to look at the bigger picture that would really let him become a man. Being on the run didn’t sit right with any of them but it was the situation they found themselves in and they would just have to make the most of it. There was simply no other option.


End file.
